I am getting a yellow Lab puppy next Sunday, he is adorable and I am so excited. But I can't decide wether to get a crate or a bed for him?
My husband and I work from home, but we do expect, over the years to take him travelling with us, which would probably include flying. Can anyone give me some advise please.

Hi I bet you are really looking foreward to your new arrival!!! :) I have a huge crate in the kitchen for Pippin who is nearly 9 weeks and in there he has a nice warm bed, and there is room for him to walk around and he has been very good using the training pad at night, he doesnt mind the crate and the door is open all day and he goes in to sleep there when he feels like it! At night I close the door and it is helping with toilet training alot!! I have a car crate too that 'lives' in the car and it is great for travel. I also have a dog seat-belt in the car but he is too small to fit into it yet!!:D
Good luck with your new puppy!!
Carol :)

My puppy who's now 6 months old :-) also sleeps in a crate with a nice warm bed inside.....he loves it, and has done since i got him :-) :-)

Thanks for the info. Yoy are right I am excited. What size have you got for indoors? Also what size for your car?

Hello! I forget the exact sizes sorry but the crate in the kitchen had 'suitable for a g.dane' on the box LOL! so it is very big for a yankee even as an adult and the one in the car is a medium crate that would have pleanty or room for a grown up yankee to sleep in on car trips, but this isnt really helping as i forget the exact sizes!
Carol :)

my eldest lab (also yellow, now 21 mths) used to be crated as a pup. I had a huge crate suitable for danes!!! She was quite content with it, but didn't like the door being closed...... my current choccy lab pup also has a crate, but a much smaller one. He has a fleece covered pillow at one end, the base lined with vetbeb. He goes in it when i go out, on a night etc. He's getting there. We only got him wednesday, and its new to him, but he's settling more and more quickly. Last night i popped him in at 11.30, he whined for 10 mins (he wants his new girlfriend, not me!), then dropped off. Didn't make a peep til 6.30 this morning. I leave the radio on low though so he has some familiar noises to soother him. Worked like a charm last night!!

what i wouldsay about crating though, is don't buy one too big. The old dane size one we had meant that little pup could sleep in her bed area, play with toys, have a drink, and still have room to have a toilet!! Needless to say, it didn't work as a method of toilet training....

nic

Oh gosh lucky you.  I have a yellow lab.  He's 2 years old.  Gosh I remember the sleepness nights as tho it were yesterday! I have to say now tho that my little boy sleeps on the sofa at night full stretch on his back and snores his head off!  Spoilt???...... I don't think so....

Good luck with your pup and I am sure that he will bring you loads of pleasure.

Em

Hi thank you for replying. It was most interesting your comments because that is just what I am most concerned with, the size. Ideally I want one just while we are training him, toilet and house etc and then no more cages.
Your comments on your younger dog confirms my thoughts, what I now need to know is the size? What size is your smaller one please?

When weve had puppies I always have a lrge crate and put there bed in it ,so when there older you just remove the crate! my dogs have always loved there crates! (but not on the first night!!!)